Time setting attachment for radios



940- J. H. CAMPBELL 2,223,245

TIME SETTING ATTACHMENT FOR RADIOS Filed April 5, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet lgwuwwtoz John I]. flan 116% Nov. 26, 1940. J. H. CAMPBELL TIME SETTINGATTACHMENT FOR RADIOS Filed April 5, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 g. m w M i?Fr" P P 2M x Nov. 26, 1940.

J. H. CAMPBELL 2,223,245

TIME SETTING ATTACHMENT FOR RADIOS Filed April 5, 1939 s Sheets-Sheet sO V39 5 A1 21 l I l a P/w Patented Nov. 26, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT,OFFICE TIME SETTING ATTACHMENT FOR RADIOS John H. Campbell, Fyfie, Ala.

Application April 5, 1939, Serial No. 266,208

3 Claims.

adapted to be actuated by an electric alarm' clock to close a circuitfrom a source of current to a radio at a predetermined time.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide an automatic timecontrol switch for radios adapted to be actuated by an electric clockfor closing a circuit to the radio at a predetermined time and formaintaining the circuit in a closed position.

This invention may be associated with a. radio as a separate switch forcompleting a circuit to a radio at a predetermined time when theconventional switch thereof is in an open position for automaticallyenergizing the radio, and the attachment is preferably provided with amanually controlled switch whereby it may be disconnected when its useis not desired and under such circumstances the radio may be manually Ycontrolled through its conventional switch. However, if preferred thecircuit associated with the automatic time controlled attachment may besubstituted for conventional circuit and switch of the radio. 3 Whilethe invention has been illustrated and will be described as anattachment for completing a circuit to a radio, it is to be understoodthat it is equally well adapted to other uses where an electric switchmay be automatically con- ..3 trolled such as for controlling lightingor electrical burglar alarm systems, for example.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of the drawings,which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a radio equipped with the timesetting attachment,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the time setting 45 mechanism whichincludes a conventional electric alarm clock works,

Figure 3 is a side elevational view showing the clock works associatedwith the automatic switch controlling means, said means being positionedso 50 that the switch is in a closed position.

Figure 4 is an enlarged side elevational view partly in sectionillustrating the construction of the. contact members forming the switchand showing their relative position to the switch controlling mechanism,

Figure 5 is an edge view in elevation showing the circuit making andbreaking mechanism, as they would appear when the contacts are in theiropen position,

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional View taken 5 along the line 6-6 ofFigure 4 showing the circuit controlling mechanism in the same position,as seen in Figure 5,

Figure '7 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line. l1 ofFigure 4 and showing the construction of the two cog wheels whichcomplete the circuit through the switch,

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational View, partly in section, showingthe parts as seen in 5 Figures 6 and 7 in engagement, a portion of themovable contact member being shown in its projected position as it wouldappear with the switch closed, and

Figure 9 is a diagrammatic view showing the electric circuit to theclock and the circuit through the automatic switch to the radio leadingfrom the clock circuit, intermediate of its ends.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like referencecharacters designate like or corresponding parts throughout thedifierent views, ll] designates generally a radio ofconventionalccnstruction in the front panel of which is mounted anelectric alarm clock ll, 7 which likewise may be of any suitableconstruction. 1

The motor 12 of the clock II is adapted to be connected to a suitableelectrical outlet, not shown, by the plug I3 which is connected by thewires H and [5 to the motor I2 to complete a ,ircuit therethrough.

The clocklworks, designated generally l6, and as best seen inFigure Z isconventional and only those parts thereof which are connected with theautomatic switch controlling mechanism. will be described.

A shaft I1 is journaled in the brackets l8 securedto the .clock H andhas one end projecting outwardly through the front panel of the radio l0and providedwith a knob IQ for rotating the shaft and the gear wheel 20carried thereby.

A shaft 2| is secured at one side of the clock works l6 and is connectedat one end to the back plate 22 of the clock works and at its oppositeend to a sleeve 23 secured to the front plate 24 of the clock, as bestseen in Figures 5 and '7. A gear 25 is rotatably mounted on the reducedinner end of the sleeve 23 and is enmeshed with the gear wheel 20, whilea gear wheel 26 is slidably and rotatably mounted on shaft 2| behind thegear and is provided with an integrally formed sleeve 2! projectingtoward the back end of the clock H, for a purpose which will hereinafterbe described.

As seen in Figure 7, gear 25 is provided with a pressed out portion toform a slot or recess 28 while the gear 26 is struck up to form theprojection 29 to engage slot 28 when the two gears are positioned in acertain point of their movement relatively to each other as willhereinafter be explained. Projection 29 has a rounded or cam shapedportion 30, as seen in Figure 5 for releasing it from recess 28 whengear 25 is turned in one direction relatively thereto.

Referring now to Figures 2 and 3, gear 25 .is enmeshed with gear 3|,which forms a part of the clock works l6 and which is connected to thealarm setting hand 32 so that by'turningknob |9 gear wheel 20 willactuate gear 25 to turn gear 3| and hand 32 and as the gears 25 and 3|are of the same size they will turn at the same speed. Gear 26 isenmeshed with the relatively wide gear wheel or cog 33 which connectswith and drives the hour hand 34 and as gears 26 and 33 are likewise ofthe same size they will also turn at the same speed and it will thus beseen that gear 26 is constantly moving when the clock I is running andwill complete a revolution every 12 hours.

A stationary contact element 35 is secured to plate 24. A pair of spacedbrackets 36 are secured to and project forwardly from plate 22- to mountthe pin or rod 31. A movable contact 38 has the angularly disposed lugsor ears 39 which are loosely mounted on rod 31 between the brackets 36to mount contact element 38 for a swinging movement relatively toelement 35. A coil spring 40 carried by pin 31 and having one terminalengaging element 38 cooperates with.

the contractile coil spring 4|, attached to said element and adjacentits upper end, to normally urge it forwardly and into engagement withcontact 35.

Contact 38 is provided with the portion 42 which is disposed adjacent toshaft 2| and which engages the sleeve 21 to normally hold contact 38 inits retracted position, as seen in Figure 2, out of engagement withcontact 35.

The radio I0 is connected to the heretofore mentioned electrical outletthrough the circuit which includes the wire 43 which extends from theradio and connects with the wire l5, the wire 44 which extends from theradio to the stationary contact 35 and the wire 45, which is providedwith the make and break switch 46 which connects wire l4 to the movablecontact 38, so that when switch 46 is closed and contacts 35 and 38 arein engagement, a circuit will be completed through wires 43, 44 and 45,and through wires 4 'andI 5 to the plug l3 which is connected to anelectrical outlet to energize the radio III.

From the foregoing it will be seen that as heretofore described knob I9may be turned to turn gears 20, 25 and 3| to set the alarm hand 32.Assuming that the manually operated switch 46 is in its closed position,and that the plug I3 is connected with a source of electrical current sothat the wires 4 and I5 complete a circuit through the electric clock H,the hour hand 34 will be revolved by the clock mechanism l6 driven bythe motor l2 and with it will turn the cog or gear 33 to revolve gear26. As the hour hand 34 and gear 33 will be turning in a clockwisedirection, as seen in Figure 3, the gear 26 will be turned in acounter-clockwise direction so that the cam shaped end of the projection29, will be the leading end of the projection. When the hour hand 34reaches the time at which the alarm hand 32 is set, at which time itwill be disposed directly in a line therewith, the projection 29 willhave moved to a point where it is in alignment with the recess 28 sothat it will move into engagement with this recess when projected bycontact 38 which is urged outwardly by springs 4|] and 4| to therebyallow contact 38 to move into engagement with contact to complete acircuit through wire 45, the two contacts, Wire 44 and wire 43 toenergize the radio l0. It is to be assumed, of course, that the radio IDhas been previously set for the program desired so that this stationwill be tuned in when the radio is energized by the circuit makingmechanism. Springs and 4| are of sufiicient strength to retain the gear26 in a projected position to re- 7 tain projection 29 in recess 28, tocause gears 25 and 26 to rotate together until such time as it isdesired to turn off or deenergize the radio. This is accomplishedmanually by opening switch 46. To again set thetime control mechanism,knob I9 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction to thereby turn gear25 in a clockwise direction so that the tapered endof the recess 28 willride over the cam surface 30 to retract gear 26 and thereby move contact38 away from contact 35 so that switch 46 can be closedwithoutenergizing the radio l0. Knob I9 is turned counterclockwise until thealarm hand is again set at the desired time so that when this time isreached the circuit will again be closed, to the radio II), asheretofore described.

Various modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement ofthe parts forming the-invention are contemplated and may obviouslyberesorted to and the right is therefor expressly reserved to make suchvariations and changes as fallwithin the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A device of the class described comprising a stationary contact, avertically pivoted contact having spring means for "normally projectingit into engagement with said stationary contact, means rotated by thehour hand shaft of a clock for normally retaining said pivoted contactin a retracted position out of engagementwith the stationary contact,means connected with the alarm setting hand shaft of said clock forreleasing said first mentioned means when the hour hand and alarm handof said shafts are aligned torelease the pivoted contact, and a manuallycontrolled shaft for adjusting the last mentioned means relatively tosaid first mentioned means and for retracting the first mentioned meansand the pivotally mounted contact.

2. A time controlled switch comprising a gear provided with a recess,said gear being connected to a gear of a clock works and which isconnected to the alarm setting hand of the clock, a slidably mountedgear provided with a projection for engagement with said recess, saidlast mentioned gear being enmeshed with a gear of the clock worksconnected to the hour hand, said gears being of the same size wherebyeach will make a complete revolution with a revolution of said hands, apair of contacts forming a part of an electric circuit, one of saidcontacts being pivotally mounted and in engagement with the gearprovided with the projection, said projection normally holding the gear,of which it forms a part in a retracted position by engagement with thegear provided with the recess, spring means for projecting said movablecontact and the gear which it engages when said projection and recessare aligned for moving the projection into engagement with the recess sothat said contacts may be closed, and manually actuated means forrotating the first mentioned gear to reset the alarm hand and to retractthe pivotally mounted contact.

3. A time controlled electric switch including a fixed contact and apivotally mounted contact, a spring for normally urging the pivotedcontact into engagement with the fixed contact; a shaft provided with aturning knob, a gear keyed to the shaft, a fixed shaft, a gear rotatablymounted thereon and in mesh with a gear keyed to an alarm setting shaft,of a clock, provided with a setting hand, said last mentioned gearhaving an elongated inclined recess, a second gear rotatably andslidably mounted on said fixed shaft and in mesh with a cog keyed to theshaft of the hour hand of the clock, said slidable gear being providedwith a lug, projecting from one side thereof, said lug having aninclined end and being shaped to fit said recess, said lug normallyengaging a side of the recessed gear and being held thereby in aretracted position and being in engagement with the pivoted contact tohold it in a retracted or open position, said lug and recess beingalined, when the hour hand and alarm hand are alined, so that the springcan project the lug into engagement with the recess thereby moving itsgear to a projected position to permit the pivoted contact to be movedby the spring to a closed position, and said turning knob being operableto rotate the recessed gear to reset the alarm hand and to move therecess out of engagement with the lug, to retract the sliding gear andthe pivoted contact to reopen the switch.

JOHN H. CAMPBELL.

